If he was a fool, at least he was the overly vigilant sort. The creature he'd suspected of being an intruder soon revealed to be nothing but the very snow of Frostfall itself, shaped into the form of a horse. Leander wondered who would have made such a thing out here. It looked so realistic from a distance. Didn't it's creator realize that it may cause some worry for the herd?

With a sigh, gold eyes rolled, merely happy that the thing was not something he'd have to fight off, especially with little Nefertari and Amenhotep close by. So far, he had not heard any hoof-beats following him, so the two must have abided by his words. Just as he was about to turn and let the children know his folly, movement caught his eye. The snow beast seemed to grin, for just the flash of a moment, at him. The palomino's body became rigid and tensed, ears perked and alert, just waiting for the ice stallion to move again. Relief left him, replaced once again with a steady thrum of adrenaline. He wasn't just seeing things, was he? He was never prone to hallucinations. Maybe this thing was a product of some magic, some illusion which had been cast. Without even turning his head from the strange white form, Leander spoke. "Stay there, children. Everything is alright. I will be back with you soon." He half-yelled back to the foals, aiming to raise his voice over the cold wind. He needed to ensure that the little ones would keep their distance, for in this land, magic was everywhere. And it was not often used for good. It was all too easy to remember the ice spikes that had sprouted from the ground at the start of the Edge battle, aiming to rip into the bellies of his friends. Hopefully, this thing did not mean such malice.

"What are you?" Quiet words left his maw, not expecting an answer from the crafted stallion before him. It did not move any longer, yet he needed to make sure the thing really was just an object, incapable of doing any harm here. Finally, feathered hooves stepped closer to the ivory sculpture, and he let his tawny neck stretch out to sniff it's snowy muzzle. The muscles in his neck grew taught as it arched in a way that looked as though he was ready to spring into movement. There was apprehension in the gesture, as if he really expected the craft to jump to life and grab him. Maybe he really was starting to become delusional in this cold, harsh season.